The only suggestion I'm aware of for determining butt guide size is half the spool diameter for spinning reels. I've always used size/spacing charts to get an idea of guide sizes. My 7' 3wt fly rod uses a 2 1/2" reel and has a 10mm butt guide. My 11'6" 8/9wt has a 4 1/4" reel with a 16mm (I had ordered a 20mm also but it looked too large).

My next project might be a lightweight 13' drift/float rod setup for a centerpin reel. Since a centerpin reel may run 4 1/2" - 5" in diameter, what size butt guide would be a good starting point? Also, I would think the most important part would be for ease of the line being pulled through the guides by the drift - so less guides for less friction or what? Thanks.

Tim
Try the search of this board. You should find a lot of info using " all dates "

Also remember that the Concept System was made for spinning rods to controll the pig tails that come off the spinning reel.
All other reels cast and fly, the line comes off the reel " streight " so the system is not needed as much. A general line path is made just so there is no sharp angles the line takes from the reel to the first guide or stripper guide. Guides are usually smaller in size for this reason.

TIm,

In practice just go for the biggest Match guide in the particular set you have chosen. Sometimes you will work with single leg guides up the rod so just look up the Two legged match guides. I prefer Fuji. You plave the butt guide quite close tyo the reel seat. What you don't want is the line touching the blank. It is usually the wind that will blow the line onto the blank.

Ok as to total no of guides it will be around 16 to 17 on a 13 foor float rod. Less and you will, get sticking to the blank line problems.

I would err on the side of slightly larger, rather than smaller where 1st guide size is concerned. As Bill aptly noted the line pigtails off a spinning spool (centerpin reels it comes off 90 degrees to this arrangement) and as it does, it expands beyond the originating spool dia.; I like to give it a a wee bit of extra distance to do this, also to allow for this long spiral of line to drop with gravity, So I concept guide to the low (Blank) side of the ceramic ring. It is said the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, thus the Rocket Scientists then contend; because space itself is curved, this shortest distance has to become harmoniously curved also...go figure.

While I do concept funnel guide in a straight line from the 1st guide to the choke guide, I allow the pigtail as a whole enity, to do what comes natural prior to the 1st guide (and lessens latter cast spool lip friction) producing a gental arc overall, (more an asymetrical triangle taper) instead of an immediate tugging towards the blank right off the spool face augmented by an abrupt coraling of an expanding pigtail. I term what I do and the harmonious rational behind its physics as: Dynamic Flow Concept Guiding or Go-With-the-Flow Concept Guiding.

C.D.Karp
Ides of March 2006